Counter



oct. 2, Y193.4. F. W KRAFT 1,975,157

COUNTER Filed April 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l oct. 2, 1934.*L F, KRAFT 1,975,157

COUNTER Filed April 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,e7 1 Z@ lNvENToR.

7 BY je??? Patented ct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,975,157 ooUN'rERf Fred W. Kraft, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Re flector Hardware Corporation, Chicago, fIll., a

corporation of Illinois Application April 20, V1934, Serial'No. 721,449

12 Claims.

appearance of the merchandise displayed, but the stands are often knocked down,vmisplaced and scattered promiscuously about the merchandise.

One object is to provide a rail as a part of the counter or an attachment to the usual rail, formed with spaced aligned sockets or apertures into which are inserted the stems of the xtures for supporting the cards or articles displayed, thus aligning all of the stems along an edge of the counter and presenting a neat, pleasing and symmetrical appearancaandat the same time mini-4 mizing the likelihood of the display devices being knocked down. kj

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in a counter having a rail provided with aligned sockets or apertures for receiving and holding in alignment a plurality of display carrying stems. The invention further consists inthe provision of the aligned sockets or apertures in the back rail itself orin an attachment secured to the counter. The invention further consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed;

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a counterexem.- plifying one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of a fragment of the counter on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmental plan of thecounter on an enlarged scale; 1 l Fig. 4 is a detail vertical cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan illustrating a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to said drawings and rst toFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the reference character 10 designates the top of a counter, table or the like A, and 11, designates a rail, here shown as the back rail of the counter. The rail projects above the count-A er top two or three inches and serves, in one capacity, to retain the merchandise on the counter.

In accordancewithk one form of the invention, al series of aligned sockets are provided in the 50 rail along its length, adapted to receive the stems 13 of -xtures or display carrying members and holdl them in alignment along the edge of the counter. The display carrying members may take various forms,such as are adapted `for displaying price cards, merchandise and other articles.

In the particular form of the inventionuillustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the back rail is formed Vof sheet metal and extends along the entire length ofthe `counter or along so much thereof ,asy is desirable. Usually the rail is of a deep channelshape, one of the sides 14 thereof being bent outward laterally adjacent its lower edge to form a flange 15 that is adaptedto be 75` 1 fastened to the counter top 10 by screws 16. The otherside 1'7 of the rail projects down below the side` 14 so as to extend along the rear edge of the counter top. A bent up channel shaped strip 18 extends betweenthe two sides 14, 17, andfis welded or otherwise secured thereto. The strip 18 lies yunder the flange l5, is bent up along the inner face of the side 14, then bent horizontally to form a'web 19 spanning the space between the two sides 14, 17, and then bent down along the inner 35 face of the side 17. The strip 18 serves to brace the two sides 14, 17 apart and also serves to receive the ends of the stems as will appear presently. Screws 23 fasten the two strips to the rear edge of the counter top. 90 The upper edge 20 of the rail and the web 19, are each formed with a series of spaced apertures designated by the character 21, 22, those in the edge 20 being in vertical alignment with those in vthe web -19 and both series of apertures being arranged in alignment along the length of the rail. Thefvertically aligned apertures provide sockets for receiving the stems 13 of the fixtures or display` carriers, two of which are shown at B. The display carriers may take various forms, as for instance for displaying price cards, merchandise and other articles. The apertures being arranged in alignment, the stems of the display carriers are held in alignment along one edge of the counter. Sometimes flat bar stems are used for the display carriers and one such fiat stem is shown at 13e. The apertures are mainly round to receive round'stems, and desirably notches 24 are provided at diametrically opposite places at 110 the edge of each round aperture to provide a wide slot to recover the fiat stems. The flat stems may be twisted Very slightly to provide a spring tension against the edges of the notches and thereby prevent any looseness between the rail and at stems.

To support and hold the round stems from turning in the apertures, a lengthwise extending groove 25 is formed in the top edge of the rail and the round stems are provided with pins or lugs 26 that project laterally therefrom and seat in the groove. The pins or lugs also support the stems upon the rail. The groove may be formed by depressing the metal of the top edge of the rail along the medium line thereof.

The apertures are spaced fairly close to eachl other which permits the display carriers to be placed approximately at any point along Vthe length of the rail, which is of importance as it permits the display carriers to be placed symmetrically behind the goods displayed on the counter.

It is to be observed that the rail serves two purposes, namely it provides an upstanding shoulder or rim at the edge of the counter for preventing articles from falling off the counter, and it provides the support for holding the display carrying stems in alignment at the edge of the counter.

In the modied form illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the counter top l0a is provided with the usual back rail i2. A separate channel shaped strip lla, desirably formed of sheet metal is provided for holding the display carrying stems. The upl per and lower flanges or webs of the strip 11a are provided with apertures 21e, 22a as in the preferred form for the reception of the stems 13, 13a, and the upper edge of the strip is grooved to receive the pins or lugs of the. stems to support and hold the round stems against turning. The

strip is secured to the rail by screwsiZBa.

In order that the weight of the xtures or display carriers may be carried by the counter top rather than by the back rail, brackets 26 may Vbe provided on the underside of the table top and fastened thereto by bolts and nuts 27. The

brackets are suitably spaced along the length of the counter and project beyond the rear edge thereof where they are formedw-ith bosses 28 that engage the underside of the lchannel strip 11a and support the same and the xtures carried thereby. An upstanding pin 29 projects from 'the lug of each bracket and extends through two vertically aligned apertures in the channel strip. The pins 29 prevent the channel Astrip from tilting,

` thereby enabling the strip to hold the xtures in upright position with all of the stems in alignment. i

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A counter having a back rail provided with a series ci spaced, horizontally aligned sockets along its length, and unconnected display carrying stems insertable into any selected sockets and held in alignment by said sockets, there being i' co-acting inea-ns on the rail and stems to .hold

the latter aga-inst rotation.

2. A counter having a back rail formed with upper and lower webs having series of horizontally and vertically aligned spaced apertures, and

display carrying stems insertable into any selected aligned 'upper and lower apertures and held thereby in alignment with each other.

3. A counter having a back rail provided with h a flanged strip on its rear side formed with upper and lower horizontally and vertically aligned apertures disposed along its length, and display carrying stems insertable into selected vertically aligned apertures and held thereby in alignment with each other.

4. In a counter, a back rail, formed of sheet metal, secured thereto, the back rail having upper and lower webs each formed with spaced apertures along its length, the apertures in the two webs being in vertical alignment, and adapted to receive and hold stems of display carriers.

' 5. In a counter, a back rail, formed of sheet metal, secured thereto, the back rail having upper and lower webs, each formed with spaced apertures arranged in vertical alignment and the upper web having a lengthwise extending depression substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a counter, a back rail composed of two channel shaped strips, one within the other and providing upper and lower webs, there being vertically aligned apertures in said webs adapted to receive the stems of display carriers.

'7. In a counter, a counter top, a back rail secured thereto, a channel shaped strip arranged along the rear side thereof, said strip being provided with a series of apertures in its upper and lower flanges, and a bracket secured to the underside of the counter top and projecting under the channel shaped strip, said bracket having a lug for supporting the strip, and an upstanding pin engaging in vertically aligned apertures in the strip.

8. In a counter, a back rail strip having upper and lower webs formed with vertically aligned round apertures from the edges of which extend aligned notches, substantially as` and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a counter, the combination of a counter top having a rail along one edge thereof provided with a yseries'ofaligned sockets along its length and having a lengthwise extending groove along its upper edge, and display carrying stems insertable into said sockets, said stems having transversely extending projections adapted to seat in said groove.

10. In a counter, the combination of av-counter top, having a metal strip secured along one edge thereof and formed with upper and lower webs, and the upper web' having a longitudinally extending groove therein, there being series of vertically and horizontally aligned apertures in the webs,4 and display carrying stems insertable into said vertically'aligned apertures, said stems having transversely extending projections adapted to sea-t in said groove.

11. In av counter, the combination of a counter top having a metal strip secured along one edge thereof -a-nd formed with upper and lower webs, there being series of vertically and horizontally aligned apertures in said webs, and display ear- 1" rying stem-s insertable into the vertically aligned apertures, Vsaid stems having lateral projections arranged to rest upon one of the webs.

A12. `I-n a coun-ter, the combination of a coun-ter top having a rail along an edge, a channel shaped strip secured to one side of saidrail, said strip having a groove in its upper web extending longitudinally thereof, and verticali-y and horizontally aligned apertures in the upper and lower webs,

and display carrying stems insertable into 'the 'l vertically aligned apertures, said stems having transversely Aextending projections adapted to seat `in said groove.

FRED W. KRAFT.

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